By John M. Stuart, MSW
I and a friend decided to take a hike in the beautiful and majestic Red Rock Canyon. In years past, I had hiked most of the area’s marked trails, except one known as Turtlehead Peak. This scenery seemed desolate, treacherous and uninviting to me with its grey granite and sharp volcanic shale. Conjuring up a new sense of adventure, Turtlehead Peak was the only option.
As we began our journey, my hiking companion eagerly asked if I could see the formation in the shape of a turtle’s face up on the peak. As I looked up trying to see what he was referring to, my uncertainty caused by my footing made it only possible to see a bunch of ugly rocks that sooner or later, I would have to contend with. As we rounded the bend, I was asked to take another look. It was like magic! There in front of me was a high peak in the formation of the head of a giant turtle. The landscape didn’t change, only my perception of it.
Often, life is like looking at Turtlehead Peak. At first it may appear to be a meaningless bunch of rocks to later discover purposeful formations after putting aside our fears and uncertainties. Life’s experiences bring new landscapes that we must traverse. Many formations we encounter have such smooth sandstone beauty to them that we welcome their presence all along the way. These beautiful formations easily give meaning to the journey as they are pleasing to the eye and pose only minimal difficulty for even the most inexperienced hiker. However there are those formations appearing to be the most barren of granite and sharpest of shale that seem to impede on the human experience to the degree that even the most advanced hiker will question the challenge.
If no growth opportunities can be found in our particular set of life circumstances then we must become more aware in how we perceive them. At the top of TurtleheadPeak, above all the sharp and jagged rocks, there is a formation that has a purposeful shape or opportunity for our growth and development if we will take the time to adjust our lens. Since life doesn’t always give us a choice of the landscape we prefer, it is up to us to make EVERY trek, even the most strenuous ones, into an opportunities for growth. The sharp shale comes in the form of sicknesses, disabilities, shaky economies and a whole host of potential barriers. We should always make the effort to take the safest marked trail, but when the landscape turns less then pleasant, the effort is ours to readjust our focus, taking a more introspective look at the purposeful formations awaiting our awareness to see them from a heightened vantage point. Remember! We’re not victims of random circumstance and meaningless terrain but real adventure ready to transform every challenge into opportunities for our growth and development. NOW is the time to let this grand journey begin!
Posted by staceyfott